The actress kept the energy up throughout the night, unlike her co-host James Franco, who looked disconnected and sluggish.
Was I the only one who somewhat enjoyed the 83rd Academy Awards held on Feb 27 (PST time)? And it was Anne Hathaway who kept me on my seat throughout the night.
Anne's co-host James Franco seemed a little 'out of it' during the most parts of the ceremony, while the actress definitely stole the limelight -- and not just for her myriad of wardrobe changes at the awards show.
This year, the Academy engaged the services of 28-year-old Anne Hathaway and 32-year-old James Franco, with hopes of infusing youthful vitality into the annual occasion. They were also the youngest hosting combo in the show's entire history.
I thought the Academy got what they wanted -- the attention of younger demographics like me (Ed's note: The writer is 23 years old) -- but viewership apparently did not agree with the above statement.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Oscars tumbled in the category of adults, ages 18 to 49; the three-hour-plus show delivered an 11.7 rating, an 11% drop in that advertiser-friendly category.
Moviefone.com said that the Academy Awards this year "boring" and "produced horribly" and the Orlando Sentinel shared its sentiment, calling the awards show a "disaster".
At least James and Anne delivered everything they were expected to, albeit choosing to play it safe and not pulling a Ricky Gervais.
Unlike the wave of criticisms, media mogul Oprah Winfrey complimented Anne on her talk show the day after the awards show.
"You were great. I think all the stars aligned for you in that moment last night. It was like a big bang moment for your life and career," Oprah said to the Love and Other Drugs actress.
My thoughts exactly.
Anne was charismatic and charming throughout the awards show; her co-host James paled in comparison, often giving off a distracted and stoical vibe. The 127 Hours actor seemed like a pretty china vase next to the overly-energised Anne. No wonder he chose to skip his own post-awards party.
The pair must have started on the right note, for the audience was kind enough to laugh along to literally everything James and Anne said.
Remember when they took a dig at themselves? James called Anne "hip" and the latter took a stab at James and replied that he "look very appealing to a younger demographic as well".
Nonetheless, James and Anne's nonexistent chemistry was so evident that moments which saw the actress going solo seemingly shone brighter than when the pair was on stage together.
Where was James anyway? The actor periodically disappeared during the ceremony.
How about giving Anne another chance next year, but partner her with Alec Baldwin instead?
Last year's presenters Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin were lauded for the great job they did at hosting the Academy Awards.
The Washington Post commented last March, "Baldwin and Steve Martin proved to be classy and quippy throughout the night, very piece-of-cake -- not that anyone expected otherwise."
While they were only short, fleeting moments, Anne appeared to share comic timing with Alec during the two scenes in the introduction parody clip they shot together.
Apart from sporting a funny bone in her, the actress's joyous spirit throughout the show was very uplifting too. It's indisputable where she inherited her comic genes from.
Her mother, Kathleen Ann Hathway, tickled everyone present when she jokingly chided, "Annie, honey, stand up straight. Mr. Steven Spielberg's here."